Is the EU Destined to Fail?

Charles Kupchan at The Globalist

Four main forces are undermining the EU’s foundations. First, Europe’s paternalistic welfare states are struggling to survive the dual forces of European integration and globalization. ...

Second, a combination of the union’s enlargement and the influx of Muslim immigrants has diluted traditional European identities and created new social cleavages. ...

Third, European politics is growing increasingly populist — not good news for an EU commonly viewed as an elite affair. ...

Finally, Europe is lacking the strong leadership needed to breathe new life into the enterprise of union. ...